ISO and quality management

ISO 14001:2015 implementation and transition guidance

2015-10-06 08:19:21 | Lượt xem: 2834 | ISO and quality management

On 15 September 2015, ISO published ISO 14001:2015 to replace ISO 14001:2004. For readers seeking information about certificate validity and the transition, ITVC Global presents the following guidance on implementing and transitioning to ISO 14001:2015 for reference.

2015 update. Check the applicable edition before implementation.

Under IAF transition guidance, organisations certified to ISO 14001:2004 had three years from publication of the new standard to transition to ISO 14001:2015. Certificates to ISO 14001:2015 could be issued from 15 September 2015, and ISO 14001:2004 certificates would cease to be valid after 14 September 2018.

Projected timetable: July 2014 — English DIS publication; August–September 2014 — consultation after translation; December 2014 — DIS voting results; March–July 2015 — proposed FDIS publication; September 2015 — proposed ISO 14001:2015 publication; proposed transition period — three years from publication.

Information on implementing the new standard and managing the transition

1. Timeframes for applying the standards

a) Organisations certified to ISO 14001:2004 before 15 September 2015

Certificates remained valid until their stated expiry date, subject to the transition deadline.
During that validity period, organisations could apply to transition to ISO 14001:2015 at any time. The transition assessment could be combined with a surveillance audit, a recertification audit or a separate transition audit.

b) Organisations certified during the transition period, from 15 September 2015 to 14 September 2018

Organisations could choose certification to ISO 14001:2004 or ISO 14001:2015. However, certificates issued to ISO 14001:2004 could remain valid only until 14 September 2018 at the latest.
During the transition period, organisations certified to ISO 14001:2004 could transition as described in section a).

c) Organisations certified after 14 September 2018:

All certification audits after that date were to use ISO 14001:2015.
ISO 14001:2004 certificates ceased to be valid after that date.

2. Points to consider when transitioning an environmental management system from ISO 14001:2004 to ISO 14001:2015

Organisations applying ISO 14001:2004 were advised to undertake the following activities:

Review the existing environmental management system against ISO 14001:2015 to identify gaps.
Develop a transition plan.
Train and raise awareness among employees and relevant parties whose activities affect the effectiveness of the environmental management system.
Update the environmental management system to meet the revised requirements.
Confirm effectiveness through activities such as internal audits and management review.

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